Tai Chi Classes in Onehunga, Auckland

Taiji is usually described as a slow gentle exercise, or moving mediation, and associated with people in parks moving slowly in the morning air. 

Taiji is an ancient practice that evolves outwardly according to the life and culture of the times. Not long ago ago Tai Chi was practiced with static postures, with the emphasis on movement between postures being a relatively recent development. 

In our tradition, we have seen the long form refined by YangChengfu, the short form created by G.M. ZhengManqing and the loosening exercises, fast form and pushing hands developed by M. HuangXingxian. It is in this form with refinements and additional mediation practices from Partick Kelly (as practiced and taught at The TaiJi School).

Taiji is commonly considered to have been formalised into a physical art about 750 or 800 years ago by Zhang Sanfeng. Though impossible to confirm historically, this Taoist person is usually accredited as the founder of Tai Chi. Though it's origins are rooted in earlier Taoist culture as expressed in The Tao Teh Ching and even earlier in the I Ching (book of changes)

The TaiJi School and other of Patrick's schools worldwide differ from many in that the aim is the inner evolution of the practitioner. To this end TaiJi is available to anyone who has sufficient health and mobility to participate. Though joining younger allows the student to maintain better health, strength and energy through their life, as well as allowing more time to take the practice deeper. 

Though one can learn the outer shape of the warm ups and form relatively quickly, the deeper aspects of the art take time. To truly advance in the inner levels of TaiJi (or any esoteric art) takes a certain minimum time. Insufficient practice or intensity during the practice, approaching the practice with fixed ideas as to its results, all will extend that minimum time, or even push it out of reach. For example, it's unfortunately common to see practitioners or 20 year plus, still at a 5 or 10 year level in their practice.

• The structure evolves over the initial few weeks.

• The first few classes introduce the five loosening exercises and the beginning of the Taiji short form. At about 4 weeks, two person 'pushing' or 'sticky hands'  is introduced. Meditation is added soon after the first class.

• As the class progresses beyond the first month, it settles into a regular routine of

  • warm ups

  • form practice

  • two person practice

  • then is completed with meditation.

• As intermediate classes are added (typically after one year of practice), the Taiji long form and further pushing hands exercise are given. As students reach their third year, Taiji quickfist, moving (or stepping) push hands, and further meditation is included as needed.

• In terms of choreography, these three forms are enough to reach an extremely refined TaiJi practice. (It's an unfortunate but not uncommon mistake to just learn more and more forms. This approach of collecting forms doesn't help to increase the ability or skill in Tai Chi. Often it distracts from ones deepening progress in the art.)